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ContinuousWave Whaler Moderated Discussion Areas ContinuousWave: The Whaler GAM or General Area Bad Luck Items on your Boat
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Author | Topic: Bad Luck Items on your Boat |
sitotis |
posted 10-22-2008 03:34 PM ET (US)
I have read that bananas are well-known to be bad luck to bring on a boat. Many people seem to have a strict no-banana-on-board policy. Does anyone have an explanation about this fear of bananas? Are there any other superstitious "oh no, not on my boat" items you do not allow on board for superstitious reasons? |
Ritzyrags |
posted 10-22-2008 04:54 PM ET (US)
Well actually my banana hull is naturally immune to that kind of curse. The reason being self evident. One thing though I will not ever let anyone open a can of evaporated milk upside down on my boat as it is sure to attract bad luck. So you coffee sippers out there Beware! |
btb |
posted 10-22-2008 06:47 PM ET (US)
My understanding based purely on hearsay is that either a) the banana question relates to fishing - its bad luck to bring bananas in any form on a boat which will engage in fishing - this stems from Hawaii, or b) in some big deal fishing competition, someone tied a hand of bananas out of sight on a competitors boat - the perpetrator scored big fish, whereas the boat with the unseen bananas caught nothing. Maybe one story came before the other - who knows. |
L H G |
posted 10-22-2008 07:02 PM ET (US)
Someone slapped an "Obama for President" bumper sticker on my moored Boston Whaler Outrage's windshield a week ago, knowing I was a Republican. An hour later it sunk. Talk about bad luck. |
chopbuster |
posted 10-22-2008 08:10 PM ET (US)
How did you know, they knew, you're one of those ? You don't have "campaign for naught" stickers on your Relax....I get the levity. |
tomol |
posted 10-22-2008 08:15 PM ET (US)
As I understand it, the no bananas thing started long before sportfishing existed. Boats avoided taking bananas as stores because of the banana spider, which is reputed to be as aggressive as it is venomous. |
newt |
posted 10-22-2008 09:52 PM ET (US)
The banana curse is real. Unless of course you are from Casco Bay in Maine where bananas are not only good luck, but also good nutrition. |
Casco Bay Outrage |
posted 10-22-2008 09:54 PM ET (US)
Oh there it is. I have just been waiting for this to come. Bring it on. I don't fish. So there! (raspberry !!!!) |
Mumbo Jumbo |
posted 10-22-2008 10:30 PM ET (US)
Skanks |
Ridge Runner |
posted 10-23-2008 09:29 AM ET (US)
"The Evils of the Banana Bananas are a mainstay of most cultures and are the world’s most popular fruit. However, these deliciously yellow treats have no place at sea. Since the 1700’s, it has been widely believed that having a banana on board was an omen of disaster. In the early 1700’s, during the height of the Spanish’s South Atlantic and Caribbean trading empire, it was observed that nearly every ship that disappeared at sea and did not make its destination was carrying a cargo of bananas. This gave rise to the belief that hauling bananas was a dangerous prospect. There are other documented origins to this superstition as well. Another explanation for the banana superstition is that the fastest sailing ships used to carry bananas from the tropics to U.S. ports along the East Coast to land the bananas before they could spoil,” Chahoc said. “The banana boats were so fast that fishermen never caught anything while trolling for fish from them, and that’s where the superstition got started. Another theory is that bananas carried aboard slave ships fermented and gave off methane gas, which would be trapped below deck. Anyone in the hold, including cargoes of imprisoned humanity, would succumb to the poisoned air, and anyone trying to climb down into the hold to help them would fall prey to the dangerous gas. And finally, one of the better known dangers of bananas at sea, is that a species of spider with a lethal bite likes to hide in bunches of bananas. Crewmen suddenly dying of spider bites after bananas are brought aboard certainly would be considered a bad omen resulting in the cargo being tossed into the sea. Any of these scenarios could be the reason behind fishermen’s mistrust of the yellow fruit, possibly all of them. Whatever the case may be, it is best that you don’t attempt to bring any bananas on board your next seafaring excursion, just to be safe." - Superstition at Sea |
Tohsgib |
posted 10-23-2008 11:50 AM ET (US)
I found over the years that Mercury outboards have been back luck when onboard my boats. Just for you Larry ; ) |
elaelap |
posted 10-23-2008 12:26 PM ET (US)
Here's my pal George, for whom I've deckhanded over 200 times during the past 20 years, munching away during a crabbin' trip in 'Sandy Ann.' http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/elaelap/Bananacrabbin005-1.jpg We got limits that day, nobody went overboard, no spider bites, the boat didn't sink or catch fire, so maybe the banana demon was at work somewhere else. Tony |
swist |
posted 10-23-2008 12:37 PM ET (US)
Traditionally, a woman on board a boat was a harbinger of bad luck (along with a zillion other things in days of yore). But I will note that most or all of the relatively few serious problems I have had in 30 years while underway (hitting things, engine failure, etc) happened when I had women on board, which I am guessing is about 15% of the time. A coincidence obviously, but makes for amusing conversation. |
L H G |
posted 10-23-2008 01:49 PM ET (US)
Good one, Nick. Need more of that around here lately. |
elaelap |
posted 10-23-2008 02:25 PM ET (US)
Yikes, swist, you're braver than I. If I ever referred to a woman as an "item" around my house, my wife and daughter would take turns kickin' me right in my items...figuratively of course. Tony |
Mumbo Jumbo |
posted 10-23-2008 05:08 PM ET (US)
After reading all the posts –and taking a great deal of time to reflect on this compelling topic, I am of the opinion that skanks with bananas will result in the ultimate bad luck. And, unfortunately, a Whaler will not shield you from a horrible end if you recklessly choose to tempt fate. Just say no to skanks with bannanas. Yes you can. |
pglein |
posted 10-24-2008 06:23 PM ET (US)
Bananas and women |
Ridge Runner |
posted 10-25-2008 12:53 AM ET (US)
"A Woman on Board is Bad Luck It would be most beneficial to start with probably the most popular superstition. Almost any fisherman will tell you that having a woman on board the ship makes the seas angry and is an omen of bad luck for everyone aboard. It was traditionally believed that women were not as physically or emotionally capable as men. Therefore, they had no place at sea. It was also observed that when women were aboard, men were prone to distraction or other vices that may take away from their duties. This, among other things, would anger the seas and doom the ship. Interestingly enough, there is a way to counter this effect. While having a woman on board would anger the sea, having a “naked” woman on board would calm the sea. Imagine that. This is why many vessels have a figure of a woman on the bow of the ship, this figure almost always being bare-breasted. It was believed that a woman’s bare breasts would “shame” the stormy seas into calm. Alas, the ancient power of female nudity." - Superstition at Sea |
Tohsgib |
posted 10-27-2008 10:39 AM ET (US)
So naked skanks with bananas on a boat powered by Mercury is the winner! |
pglein |
posted 10-27-2008 11:36 AM ET (US)
Although I'm not one to ignore superstition, I've long found that having a woman on my boat greatly icreases my chances of getting lucky. |
contender |
posted 10-27-2008 07:54 PM ET (US)
Ex wife, anything else I can handle |
roloaddict |
posted 10-28-2008 12:17 AM ET (US)
My fishing buddy advises that a 110 lb Halibut, a 357 Magnum and half a bottle of Jack Daniels were a bad combination on the boat he used to have. |
kamie |
posted 10-28-2008 07:01 PM ET (US)
"A Woman on Board is Bad Luck" This doesn't seem to be a problem aboard my boat. |
mateobosch |
posted 10-29-2008 01:26 PM ET (US)
I have found my boat to actually give me good luck with women. |
Einar |
posted 10-29-2008 08:48 PM ET (US)
The Repo Man. |
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